My Declaration of Independence

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the social and spiritual bands which have connected him with another and to assume among the students of the earth, the separate yet way-behind station to which the Laws of Bible Institute and of Nature's God entitle him, a decent respect to the opinions of his blog readers requires that he should declare the causes which impel him to the separation.

I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Institute students are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are 24 hours a day, 365.25 days a year, and the pursuit of Graduation. — That to advantage themselves of these rights, Disciplines are required among Students, deriving their just limitations from the consent of the wife and children, — That whenever any Form of Activity becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the Students to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Activities, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Accomplishment and Completion. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Activities (such as blogging) long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of hard-drive crashes and distractions, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Stress, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such unnecessary Activities, and to provide new Uses of their time for their workload. — Such has been the patient sufferance of this Student; and such is now the necessity which constrains him to alter his former System of Blogging. The history of the present Lunch-Time Thoughts is a history of repeated time-spending and even time-wasting, all having in indirect object the establishment of an absolute Stress over this Student due to the necessary Institute requirements. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

• He has a thesis that must needs be re-written by May.
• He has an Independent Study that must needs be completed on the book of Zechariah.
• He has two Institute classes by a particular Professor Curran.
• He has a third Institute Class which uses the tests and quizzes of said Professor Curran.
• He must complete a Research Paper on Jonathan Edwards, 5-7 pages long.
• He must read a book for Pastoral Counseling and write a 5-7 page book report.
• He is required and privileged to evangelize on the Streets of Rochester every Saturday morning.
• He has a class on the book of Revelation every Sunday evening.

He has combined with these tasks, commitments for other things which take up considerable time:

• For maintaining proper spiritual disciplines, drawing nigh to God so that He would draw nigh to him:
• For loving and caring for his wife and five wonderful children at home:
• For hosting a Bible study in said home every Friday night:
• For attending church in order to be fed spiritually:
• For ministering to the Junior High Sunday School.

He has attempted to perform these tasks while at the same time continuing with other areas of ministry and writing, and has endeavoured to continue throughout.

In every stage of these Oppressions I have Petitioned for Peace in the most humble terms: My repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated additional obligations. A Schedule, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free student.

Nor have I been wanting in attentions to my Christian brethren. I have warned them from time to time of attempts by their petitions of me to extend an unwarrantable pressure on me. I have reminded them of the circumstances of my situation here. I have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and I have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these petitions of me, which would inevitably interrupt our friendships. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. I must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in the Semester, after Graduation Friends.

I, therefore, the Author of Lunch-Time Thoughts, Standing alone, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of my intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the desire to finish Institute, solemnly publish and declare, That these Lunch-Time Thoughts are, and of Right ought to be Temporarily Neglected, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Readers, and that all social and spiritual connection between them and the Readers, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a Free and Independent Blogger, I have full Power to write infrequently, not answer every comment, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Institute Students may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, I pledge to each of the readers, my Thanks, my Friendship, and my request for understanding. This is NOT just a thought...

Andy Hinds